Tag: seo

Responsive website design and the 5 ways it improves SEO

Posted on by Karen Cheung

Are you still confused as to why you should have a responsive website design for mobile devices? With 55% of worldwide traffic coming from mobile and more and more people purchasing directly from their smartphones, you will do yourself a disadvantage not to have one. Web design for mobile SEO is crucial for success!

Moreover, a mobile-friendly website has several SEO advantages.

In today’s digital world, people are constantly looking at their smartphone and tablet devices. So if your website is not optimized yet for any device, we urge you to do so.

Having a responsive website and attractive design has become standard practice. No matter what business you work in, a responsive website is required in every SEO strategy to drive traffic and maximize your sales.

It’s a mistake to miss mobile in SEO site design.

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WHY RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN IS NECESSARY

Why responsive web design is necessary

Over the last year, the internet has advanced at an astonishing pace.

The use of smartphones has overtaken the desktop computer as the preferred method of accessing the internet for most people.

According to one study, smartphone users outnumber desktop computer users by a factor of two.

Neither of these findings should have come as a surprise to website designers or marketers.

The slowness with which business and the internet sector have responded to the new digital transformation and web usage is somewhat surprising.

Users expect mobile-friendly websites. Mobile-friendly is the new norm.

Miss to deliver on that, and you can be sure it will impact on your sales. Despite industry predictions, users’ desire for responsive web design has gone unmet.

Data shows that as many as 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile.

In addition, research shows up to 60% of people have not adjusted to the need for a responsive web design.

This is worrying for companies (not to mention the high numbers of web designers searching for employment at the moment).

Google was created with the end-user in mind — for people doing a web search. Google is adapting to the needs of people who access the web primarily via mobile devices.

That is why it would make sense that they prioritize websites that cater to Google’s audience specifically.

In other words, Google will give preference to mobile-friendly sites. Most of these sites have a mobile responsive design, which is what you want.

To enjoy the benefits of mobile responsive design on your SEO, here are five reasons why you should make the switch now.

1. A more user-friendly website

Responsive web design user-friendly website

It is unlikely that visitors would stick around if your website is challenging to use and not optimized for users’ experience.

Search engine firms consider Google “time on page” an important ranking factor for every website. With a responsive layout, visitors have an easier time reading and navigating your website.

They spend more time on it and have a better user experience. This is key to getting people to want to know more about your products or services, and they will be more likely to buy.

Improved usability ratings result in visitors coming back and higher conversion rates.

This means a better ranking on search engines and more sales!

Google’s function is to answer users’ questions, as previously stated.

A good user experience begins with a mobile-responsive web design, and Google will reward those sites that deliver on that promise with a better ranking.

Website experience is a crucial component of white hat SEO and cannot be underestimated.

To increase conversion and improve customer experience, businesses and digital marketing companies must constantly be aware of this fast-changing digital world’s best practices.

The better the user experience, the more they will stay and explore your site.

This results in more traffic, positive reviews, and increased branded searches, all of which may influence search engine rankings. And behind all of that, there are the aesthetic aspects of a website’s design.

Web design for mobile SEO is the basis upon which all experiences are built and make a website successful online.

Increasing site usability with responsive design not only pleases users but Google often rewards it with higher search engine ranks, which is equally significant.

Put simply, if you want to win in the competitive SEO world, you must have a mobile-friendly and SEO optimized website.

To do that, we recommend partnering with the best.

This is what First Page Digital is.

2. A quick loading page

The time it takes for a page to load is a well-established website ranking factor. Design your website, so the pages load as rapidly as possible to increase the likelihood of ranking high in search engine results.

Let’s be honest. Who likes to wait for a page to open?

Google’s message has been clear for years: fast-loading sites perform better in search.

Another reason Google rewards responsive website design is that it is more user-friendly.

Faster-loading websites (particularly on mobile and smart devices) provide a better user experience and a possible ranking increase for mobile responsive.

Having a web design for mobile SEO and user-friendly for desktop and mobile leads to more satisfied users and more sales!

Responsive web design SEO

3. A decrease in the bounce rate

The bounce rate is the number of users that visit a page and close without taking action.

Proportional to the amount of time a user spends on a page. In what time frame do your website’s visitors go back or leave? When it comes to a website’s entrance and departure points, Google considers user behavior.

Leaving a site nearly as fast as you arrived might be seen by Google as an indication that the material the searcher discovered on your site was not relevant to their requirements.

The website’s rating in Google search engine results for that inquiry will be lowered as a result. Users, on the other hand, aren’t only concerned with the content.

In many cases, it’s possible to say that design triumphs over the content.

Users will quit a site even if the information is excellent if the design makes it difficult to understand.

Using a mobile responsive web design, you may not only provide relevant material for users to utilize, but you can also show it in a mobile-friendly manner.

It delivers a distraction-free browsing experience for your website’s visitors.

4. Fewer Repetition Issues

Even though Google’s algorithms are pretty sophisticated, you must still tell them which information on your website is the most significant.

It is tough to deal with duplicate content concerns while creating a separate mobile site. When you have a mobile-specific website, you must have a unique URL for it.

Even if the URLs are different, the content on desktop and mobile is the same. The same material may harm your search engine results.

If you do not tell Google which material is most important and guarantee that it gets indexed, the decision will be made for you.

The end outcome is nearly always a drop in search engine ranks.

Another advantage of a flexible design is that you may concentrate your SEO efforts on a single site rather than many ones since distinct mobile areas are cannibalized to their desktop versions.

Duplicate content issues may be addressed with a mobile responsive website. No matter what device is being used to access the information, write a single URL.

5. Enhanced Social Networking

Mobile users are the most prevalent population on the internet, and responsive web design was created with them in mind.

Even while social media may aid SEO, it will have no direct effect on search engine results if you use it. However, it will aid in the expansion of your fan base.

 More significant numbers of people may imply more traffic and interaction for your business.

This will raise the profile of your site on search engines like Google.

Users who visit a website on their smartphones will have difficulty navigating clumsy and poorly designed social sharing buttons on a desktop version of the site.

PREPARATION: KEEPING MOBILE USERS IN MIND WHEN DESIGNING YOUR PROJECT

Before you begin developing your website, it pays to mind map your SEO strategy and spell out the website’s goal and purpose.

You will have a more condensed and sensible mobile responsive site design if you prepare ahead of time.

By creating the strategy ahead of time, you will be able to determine the correct vocabulary to use for your company, website, or service and the right content to include to provide your target audience with what they need.

It also gives you time to do your keyword research properly and make your website design and content mobile-friendly.

The clearer you are on your objectives, the better results you will get.

To build a strong SEO strategy for your website, and do web design for mobile SEO, you need to know your target audience pain points. Your messaging must be addressed to them directly.

Conclusion

Having an SEO responsive and mobile-friendly design is key to improving your business’s online performance, attracting leads, building your authority, and increasing your revenue.

If you need help with SEO and your website design, book a free call with one of our digital specialists today.

Get in touch

What else apart from good mobile SEO can drive traffic and sales?

Want to drive more traffic and sales? Here are some useful marketing tactic blogs. You can combine them with your newsletter execution. We invite you to read the following:

Are you a busy business owner? You may not have the time to run the marketing tactics you need to make money regularly. If this is the case, we encourage you to review some of our strategic marketing services to drive more sales:

Schema Markup and How it Boosts Your SEO

Posted on by Bimal Mirwani

Schema markup is a recent development in SEO. It is one of the most powerful search engine optimization techniques accessible today. However, it is the most underutilized. Once you have mastered schema markup, you can use it to improve your website’s position in search engine results (SERPs).

This article’s objective is to demonstrate how easy it is to begin utilizing schema markup on your website right away. Improve your SEO with schema markup today.

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What is Schema Markup?

What is Schema Markup

Search engines deliver more valuable results to visitors when they employ schema markup, and code (semantic vocabulary) on your website. Schema markup is easy to grasp if you have previously used rich snippets.

Let’s look at an example for hospitality events. According to the schema markup, the SERP should provide a list of forthcoming hotel events. That is massive assistance for the end-user. To learn more about schema markup, consider the following information:

Schema instructs search engines on what meaning data should have in the results.

Search engines index and display the content of your website. Obviously, in contrast, schema markup changes how part of the material is indexed and retrieved.

How? Search engines can better understand your material when you employ markup. Suppose the term “David Ogilvy” occurs in an article. For instance, as a result of this, the search engine generates a SERP item for “David Ogilvy.”

I have just alerted the search engine that “David Ogilvy” is the creator of the post, and not simply a few random words, by using schema markup around his name “David Ogilvy.” After that, the search engine returns “David Ogilvy” results, which are more relevant to the user.

The markup for Microdata in Schema Uses a Special Semantic Vocabulary

There is no need to brush up on your coding knowledge. HTML is still used by websites that include markup.

The only change is that HTML Microdata now has schema.org vocabulary.

Schema.org is a rare example of cross-industry cooperation since it brings together people from different industries to support each other.

You now have an agreed-upon collection of code markers that instructs the main search engines on how to treat the information on your website as pages.

Users Were the Reason for this Development

In the SERPs, schema markup lets people understand what a website is about, where it is located, what it does, and how much it costs, among other things. Schema markup is often referred to as “your virtual business card.”

This is a change that puts the user first. Users rely on search engines to help them find the information they want. Schema markup satisfies both of these requirements.

What is the significance of Schema Markup?

Schema markup aids your website in search engine ranking for a wide range of content.

Data markup is available for a wide range of data formats, such as:

  • Articles
  • Local businesses
  • Restaurants
  • TV episodes and ratings
  • Book reviews
  • Movies
  • Software applications
  • Events
  • Products
  • Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

For example, toy businesses have their own set of markup types, whereas medical dosage plans use various markup types.

There is a strong likelihood that any data on your website has an item scope and an item type attached to it.

Websites that employ schema markup have an advantage in search engine results pages (SERPs).

According to one research, schema markup websites appear four places higher on the search engine results page (SERP).

However, this more excellent outcome is not attributable to the markup; there is a strong link.

Rich snippets, which contain schema markup, now appear in one-third of all Google search results. Schema markup is used by fewer than a third of websites, according to the current study.

This means that millions of websites are squandering a tremendous opportunity to improve their SEO rankings. Use schema markup, and you will have an advantage over your competitors.

How to Make Use of Schema Markup in Your SEO

How to make use of Schema Markup for SEO

Schema markup is now our topic of discussion. You want to improve your SEO SERPs and front-end user experience by ranking higher, looking better, and performing better.

There is no denying it. Schema markup is going to be beneficial to you.

Follow the steps below when you have your website ready:

  • Go to the Structured Data Markup Helper on Google’s website

  • Decide on the kind of information you want to collect.

    • There is a slew of choices available. This is not a complete list. Because it is one of the most popular categories of material, I will use “Articles” as an example below. Incorporate the URL You Wish to Markup into the Text Box. It is okay to paste HTML if you have it. Click “Start Tagging” when you are ready to get started. Using the markup tool, you may begin the next markup step by adding tags to your content. There will be two panes: left for your web page and right for the data.

  • Decide the elements you want to highlight.

    • Here we are going to use the “Name” markup since this is an article. Therefore, we are going to emphasize the article’s title. Once the highlighting is finalized, we click on the tooltip is “Name” option. Right-clicking on a name brings up a new window with the data items I have chosen.

  • Add Markup items to the Document as Needed

    • You may refer to the list of data items as a reference and highlight the rest of your article’s components to include them in the markup. In all likelihood, you won’t be able to categorize all the items. Include what you are able to do.

  • Create HTML code for the website. Click “Create HTML” after you are done.

    • The HTML of your page will be shown on the next page, with the required microdata added where you specified.

  • Consider Using Schema Markup on Your Website

    • The next step is to add the highlighted snippets to your CMS (or source code if you are not using a CMS).

    To locate the schema markup code, look for the yellow scrollbar markers. Alternatively, you may copy/paste the produced HTML code from your CMS or source code into your downloaded HTML file.

  • The Schema Must Be Teste

    • After you click “Finish,” a succession of “Next Steps” will appear.

    • The Schema Must Be Tested. Test your page using the Structured Data Testing Tool to see how it will appear when you add the markup you want.

    To save time, I will examine the code the tool created for me instead of a published web page.

    We personally click “preview” after pasting the code. The program simulates how Google search results will display my article: In addition, we have access to all of the markup that we have contributed and can check it.

    We may adjust the Schema and see the results again if required by editing the HTML directly in the testing tool.

    How to Use Schema Markup for Search Engine Optimization

    Schema Markup and SEO

    This article’s goal was to introduce you to schema markup. There is a lot of space out there. The following hints will help you go even deeper into Schema and get even more out of it.

    Lists of popular schema markup may be found at Schema.org. If you want to view this list, go to the Organization of Schemas page. See which ones are most appropriate for your company.

    Use As Many Schemas As Necessary

    There are many different kinds of markup, as previously discussed. Visit The Type Hierarchy to see the whole list. This master list contains all of the markup kinds—the greater the number of markups, the greater the benefit.

    “The more material you mark up, the better,” say the Schema.org guidelines. The more item kinds you learn about, the more you realize how much content you can mark up on your website.

    Keep in mind, though, the disclaimer: “You should only markup material that is accessible to individuals who visit the web page and not content in hidden div is or other hidden page components.”

    Schema Markup and SEO go hand in hand

    Despite the simplicity with which schema markup may be implemented, only a tiny percentage of companies and websites are using it. So now you know how to use schema markup for SEO.

    It is safe to say that schema markup is one of those SEO strategies that will be around for some time to come. To get better search results, you need to get familiar with and incorporate relevant microdata. Doing so as soon as possible provides you with an advantage over your competitors.

    If you need support with schema market or SEO, book a call with one of First Page’s digital experts today and let us show you what we can do for you. Also, please look at our SEO services. We’d be happy to look after your schema for you.

    Get in touch

    eCommerce SEO Tips in Hong Kong: 5 Tips for your eCommerce Store

    Posted on by Stephanie Wong

    eCommerce in Hong Kong is huge! Many consumers in Hong Kong, like the rest of Greater China, love to shop online. Ensuring that you are prepared for SEO for your eCommerce website will make sure that your eCommerce store can drive revenue and outpace your competition. Here we will give you some excellent SEO eCommerce tips.

    Did you know that the revenue of online marketplaces is projected to grow to US$38 billion in 2025— a staggering amount for eCommerce in Hong Kong? Fashion accounts for the largest percentage of eCommerce revenue in Hong Kong.

    Many verticals are leveraging online marketplaces, such as Amazon and Alibaba. Many have thrived despite the economic uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure your brand does, too, and participate in this explosive eCommerce growth in Hong Kong.

    While specialist marketplaces such as ASOS continue to invest in brand engagement strategies, large retailers with deep pockets can enter the field with the resources to steal your business long before consumers can even find your shop.

    Are you eager to ensure that your products and services are visible to your valuable customers? What can you do to minimize cart abandonment rates?

    We believe incorporating SEO into every step of your eCommerce business in Hong Kong may be the key to your success. These eCommerce SEO tips will get you killer sales in Hong Kong.

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    What are five quickfire eCommerce SEO tips you need to know?

    1. Sell Yourself in Your Title

    Potential customers are more likely to check out your website if you appear at the top of their search results on search engines. To improve your chances of making a sale, mention your unique selling proposition (USP) in your title.

    If you sell computers, simply stating that “We sell computers” won’t catch the attention of your target consumers. On the other hand, if you state that you provide the best customer service for the lowest prices, you are giving your consumers a reason to choose you over your competitors. This would lead to more visits, clicks, and sales.

    Offer a solution that meets their needs, and communicate that solution loud and clear. eCommerce in Hong Kong is super competitive. This is one tip that can help you beat the competition. You’ll see an increase in traffic to your website if you can narrow down your target audience – be it luxury brands or local SMEs.

    2. Do Your Keyword Research

    Being successful in eCommerce in Hong Kong relies on excellent keyword research. Before you launch a digital campaign or a product, you need to ensure that you have done your research—specifically, keyword research.

    As fuel for the SEO engine, keywords that are meticulously chosen are the key to an eCommerce SEO strategy that commands results. Getting your target keywords right is one of the foundations of our eCommerce SEO tips.

    While short, one-word target keywords are sufficient when building out your eCommerce SEO, take the time to research and develop long-tail keywords. This will make it much easier for your target consumers to find your products and services.

    Google Trends - Ecommerce Shop Example
    Google Trends – Ecommerce Shop Example of Keywords

    Google Trends – Ecommerce Shop Example of Keywords

    For example, instead of using “shoes” as your SEO keyword, consider adding descriptive words that supplement the basic keyword: “popular men’s urban tennis shoes for fashion”. The more specific keywords you apply to your product page SEO, the more likely it is for your online shop to skyrocket to the top of the results on search engines.

    We also recommend including the location modifier in your keyword – such as, ‘tennis shoes Central,’ ‘eCommerce SEO services in Hong Kong, or ‘buy fresh vegetables in HK.’

    Now that you know the importance of long-tail keywords, how do you find out which to use? We suggest reviewing the results on search engines of online marketplaces frequented by your target consumers.

    For Hong Kong search engines, sites such as Taobao and HKTVmall are fantastic starting points if you are interested in conducting quality keyword research. Getting your keyword research right will really help with search engine optimization and drive organic search traffic to your eCommerce pages.

    3. Improve Your Website’s Speed

    A website that loads slowly is sure to turn away potential customers. In the age of high-speed connections, people simply are not likely to stick around and wait for your page to load. That’s why it is so important to ensure that your site loads quickly.

    So, how can you go about this? The key is compression. Compress everything you can, and your page will load a lot faster. There are some incredible tools available that you can start implementing today that yield effective results.

    Try to get your HTML files as small as you can. Images are another factor that can cause your page to be sluggish. Employ an image resize API to get those high-resolution pictures shrunk down. Many will retain the original image’s visual clarity while giving you a much smaller file to work with.

    Pagespeed example - Optimize your load times

    Pagespeed example – Optimize your load times

    You may also want to look at the speeds you’re being provided by your website host. This can significantly impact your website speed, so it could be worth spending a bit extra on a high-quality host.

    4. Make buying easy for on your Hong Kong eCommerce store

    Did you know that one of the main reasons customers back out of sales is due to a convoluted buying process? Too many additional offers and requests can hurt your business. Streamline your checkout so that customers can quickly buy your product or service. This will be one way to beat your competition in eCommerce in Hong Kong.

    The less hassle they are confronted with, the more likely you are to see sales go through. Ensure that your customers can clearly see what they have added to their cart, as well as a fast and easy way to get straight to checkout when they’re ready.

    You can tell if your customers find your buying process difficult by looking at your abandoned cart rate. If it seems higher than it should be, your buying process could be to blame.

    A great way to increase brand awareness is to provide internal links to other parts of your eCommerce site. This allows customers to see things they might normally miss during their first visit. You could even link them to other product pages.

    When used correctly, internal links can help to boost website visitors traffic and sales. But it’s important that you don’t overdo it.

    Have you ever visited a page that has links to nearly every other word? While it may seem beneficial to do this, too many links can overwhelm the customer, resulting in them going elsewhere to do business.

    6. Get under the hood – Update your SEO schema and add structured data

    If you want to succeed with an eCommerce website in Hong Kong, then you must update your SEO Schema and add structured data. When you are searching for a product or service online, are you more likely to click through to a site with reviews and stars, or one that has none?

    That’s right – consumers are more likely to click on results on search engines that have a preview of “average reviews” or “stars” on their search description. The best way to ensure that your high product reviews appear on your website is through structured data.

    Structured data sounds technical and complicated, but it is actually an easy way to ensure that your website is better understood by a search engine like Google.

    With a simple bit of coding on your website, search engines can better search your pages and pull content reviews for searches. This will also help to improve the online shopping journey for your customers.

    An easy way to get started is with a product such as Google’s Structured Data Mark-up Helper. Plugin the code, and your site’s product and services will look even more enticing with legitimate reviews!

    Structured Data Helper - Google can help with eCommerce SEO tips

    Structured Data Helper – Google

    Final thoughts on eCommerce SEO tips

    We want you to continue to rise in the ranks when it comes to eCommerce SEO in Hong Kong!

    With a strong, SEO-backed digital marketing strategy, you can help your brand break through the online blockades created daily by mega-retailers who want to consume and snuff out smaller entities.

    The good news? You don’t need to be a programming expert or business whiz to implement a great eCommerce SEO strategy. Let’s take a look at a few tried-and-true practices you can implement today to build a competitive advantage in the Hong Kong e-commerce market.

    As you can see in the list of steps above, getting started with SEO optimization isn’t hard. Yet, so many Hong Kong companies lose out on valuable consumer revenue by leaving their online shops and digital presence lacking in SEO.

    Right now, you can easily rise above the competition by simply implementing a couple of easy steps to help your site climb the ranks on search engines.

    If you begin to optimize your SEO alongside a powerful content marketing strategy, your competitive edge will overcome even the big-box retailers when it comes to online shopping!

    We invite you to learn more about how to improve your eCommerce revenue by contacting our team to find out more about our services.

    eCommerce SEO tips FAQs

    Is Google Analytics a good SEO tool for eCommerce websites?

    All website owners should utilize Google Analytics, but anyone who runs an online business will find it very helpful. This is due to a unique feature of GA called E-commerce tracking, which enables you to keep track of all the crucial indicators about your online shop and the E-commerce industry as a whole. Using Google Analytics is a great eCommerce SEO tip to get you more traffic immediately.

    How to fix duplicate content for Ecommerce SEO?

    Use canonical tags to inform search engines that a certain piece of content is a copy of another page if you have two pages with duplicate content. By telling Google or any other search engine about your source, you will avoid any penalties. This is one of those important eCommerce SEO tips to remember. It will help optimize product pages that will not be penalized for having the same keywords. Website visitors will finally find your product pages, which is what we want as online retailers.

    Is SEO important for eCommerce?

    An essential requirement for e-commerce websites is SEO. In order for potential consumers to locate the things they want in the SERPs and pick your website to click on, your products must rank higher than those of your rivals and must be shown correctly.

    How long should an eCommerce SEO product title be?

    Your product title should only be 20–70 characters long. However, avoid making your product title appear spammy by keeping it short.

    Do product descriptions help eCommerce SEO?

    Benefit descriptions for products are far more beneficial to your readers than feature lists. Your description becomes more consumer-relevant by including product advantages, which is also better for SEO.

    How important are meta descriptions for eCommerce stores?

    When they appear on Google searches, meta descriptions and open graph meta descriptions act as adverts for your website. Ecommerce meta descriptions may function as brief, 140-character advertisements that can draw website visitors from social media and outrank more highly placed rivals on search engine results pages.

    SEO Copywriting, What is SEO Writing?: Mastering the Basics and Becoming a Great SEO Content Writer.

    Posted on by Bimal Mirwani

    SEO writing can be a great way to improve your website’s traffic and search engine ranking. But it can also be difficult to do well. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the basics of SEO writing and offer tips for becoming a great SEO copywriter.

    Any great SEO content writer knows that the process is anything but easy, as there are many hurdles to clear along the way, including research, outlining, content creation, and website optimization.

    Once you clear all these obstacles, only then will you be able to attain the objective of ranking for a certain keyword. 

    Being featured on the first page of a search engine results page can drastically catapult your business to the next level. What spearheads this goal is the SEO-optimized content on your website.

    Essentially, you must ensure that any copy (blog post, meta descriptions, title tag, etc.) targets a certain audience and answers the search queries they are likely to search for.  

    In this article, we will teach you the tricks of the trade to become a top-class SEO copywriter.

    You will be able to write a killer meta description, be a master of SEO article writing, and also be spot on for user intent.

    You will be able to produce flawless content that lights up the search engine algorithms and ranks on the first page. Of course, this will add to the impact of your content marketing and digital marketing.

    We’ll also provide some resources that can help you get started. So without further ado, let’s get started!

    Table of contents

    What is an SEO writer, and why is SEO content writing important?

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    There is no denying that SEO writing is pivotal to making sure your content drives organic traffic and can be seen by the right audience.

    In order to do this, certain SEO techniques have to be adopted and implemented when writing SEO content. This is the only way for your content to rank high and be seen on a search engine. Period.

    So, does an SEO Writer do exactly? An SEO writer is a writing specialist that uses the known aspects of search engine rankings to create content that is well optimized for them. 

    The higher your website ranks in search engines; the more people will visit your website. It means it can boost organic traffic, which subsequently leads to an increase in sales and profit.

    Without it, your content will join the multiple articles that languish in the doldrums and are never seen by readers. And we’re 100% sure you don’t want that!

    Simply put, SEO content writing matters because it is a key factor of success when it comes to ranking on the first page of Google or any other search engine.  

    What are the right 5 steps to SEO Writing?

    SEO writing steps to success

    SEO writing revolves around crafting top-quality content that ranks highly on search engines. Amongst the many distinguishing factors on Google’s algorithm guidelines, user experience is right up there with target keywords. 

    Therefore, it is essential to keep your target audience in mind when writing any content for your website and focus on the search queries they will likely be searching for.

    To do this, you need to have an in-depth understanding of your audience and what they might search for to come across the products or services you offer. 

    Understanding this will allow you to see things from their perspective and, thus, tailor your content and include keywords that speak their language. 

    The path to becoming a great SEO writer is filled with many twists and turns, but to ensure you stay on the right track and don’t get derailed, here is a beginner-friendly 5-step approach to writing for SEO.  

    1. Find relevant target keywords with organic traffic potential

    To begin with, it is important to find the right keyword ideas that will drive traffic to your business. 

    To identify what these keywords are, think about what people search for on search engines like Google according to your niche. Build a crystal-clear picture of the ideal audience in your head and think like them.

    When doing your keyword research, write down all keyword ideas that come to mind and classify them by traffic potential.

    As voice search is growing quickly, consider some specific keywords or phrases your target customer could ask when using voice search for your products or services. and add them to the list.

    Add the target keyword or keywords to your ideas list.

    To evaluate the traffic potential, one of the best SEO tools you can use is Google Keyword Research Tools.

    2. Determine search intent

    Local search intent refers to any query in which the user is looking for a result. It’s one of the key reasons why someone conducts a specific search.

    After all, everyone who does an online search is hoping to find something in their search engine results. 

    But is someone looking for an answer to a question they have? Are they looking to visit a specific website? Or, are they using a search engine because they want to buy something?

    To determine search intent, you can test your keywords and look at the top results on a search engine’s results page and identify what we call the three Cs:

    Content type: the type of content that ranks at the top of search engines (web page, landing pages, blog posts, videos, etc.).

    If you see your keywords on the questions report, it means that the top results are most likely to be an informative blog post or video.

    This gives you a great indication of where the people that are searching are in the consumer journey.

    For example, if the top results are eCommerce pages, you know that people looking for this keyword are willing to buy.

    Content format: This is a great indication of how you need to structure your post (how-to, list, blog post, opinion piece, web page, etc.).

    You want to write in the same format that the top-ranking results do.

    Content angle: Refers to a common theme amongst the top-ranking pages and adopts the perspective they are taking. This is very important when writing blog posts. For example, a common angle for “how to develop a photo” is that you can do it from home.

    Search intent is a generally overlooked ranking factor that is useful to re-optimize existing content.

    For example, if after posting an article you realize that your target audience is looking for something else, you should revise your content with that in mind.

    In SEO writing, understanding your audience is key to creating targeted and effective articles that rank high on search engines. Knowing this will ensure that you are producing SEO friendly content that will add value to your content marketing.

    Just note that you want to provide relevance and value to your audience so you can become an authority in your niche.

    3. Determine the subtopics you need to cover

    Now that you have a strong keyword list and know your content type, format, and required angle, it is time to delve into the depths of what the top-ranking pages are doing and use it to your advantage.

    You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. It’s much simpler than that, as you must adopt what your competitor is doing for this keyword and make it work for you.

    Below are three methods you can use to identify the subtopic you need to cover:

    METHOD 1: Analyze your competitors’ content and list their headings. It helps to understand their content and is an excellent indicator of the subtopics you should cover.

    Go to the top-ranking pages for the selected keywords and look at their outlines. Use this information to understand what people are on the lookout for.

    METHOD 2: Check the People Also Ask boxes. Go back to Google and enter your primary keyword. It shows you a PAA box that gives you an idea of what people are searching for when typing this specific keyword.

    METHOD 3: Analyze and find out what keywords are helping your competitors rank at the top. Look for the similarities between the top-ranking pages and the keywords they utilize.

    4. Create an outline

    class=

    Start creating an outline by writing the working title for your page. Then, start with the essential information about the topic and keep building the arguments with logical content.

    Use an inverted pyramid approach to write a logical heading structure (H1, H2, H3).

    It should always start with the most important information people need to know about the topic and trickle down to the less essential, but nice-to-know details.

    For example, in this article, we started with a hook and defined what SEO writing is and why it matters. Then, it continued with the step-by-step explanation to teach you how you can do it too.

    The tips are less essential than the fundamental definition, which is why it comes at the end of the article.

    A good outline is a place to start for SEO friendly content and may also lead to you having a featured snippet on search engines.

    To make this clearer, have a look at the example below:

    Example

    H1: What Is SEO Writing and How To Become a Great SEO Writer

    H2: Why is SEO writing important?

    H2: HOW TO WRITE FOR SEO WRITING? A 5-STEP APPROACH TO SUCCESS

    H3: 1. Find relevant keywords with traffic potential

    H3: 2. Determine Search Intent

    H3: 3. Determine the subtopics you need to cover

    H3: 3. Create an Outline

    H3. 4. Write the draft

    H2: Quick tips for successful SEO writing

    5. Write the draft

    Once an outline has been mapped out, you will have a crystal-clear layout about what needs to be included in the article and the type of content you need to write.

    It is now time to start writing in a conversational and natural tone. Keep your target audience in mind and remember that you are talking to them, answering their issues, and positioning your products or services as the solution.

    To do this effectively, make sure that you are using their language and tone of voice.

    Also, don’t forget to add the selected keywords 3-5 times throughout your copy.

    What Quick SEO Writing Basic Tips do we have for you?

    SEO writing tips

    In this section, we share additional advice to ensure your SEO copywriting and content are on point. 

    Follow these tips and optimize your content accordingly:

    1. Ensure your title is compelling

    Look at the titles of the top-ranking pages and try to use numbers, adjectives, freshness, brand name, value proposition, and uniqueness where possible.

    Make sure the title offers a clear representation and insight into what the article is about. People get disappointed when the article doesn’t match their expectations! 

    Featured snippets are the short summary you see on top of Google’s search results, with a common example being a list. 

    3. Use short and straightforward URLs

    Make your URL short, easy to read, and straight to the point. Use your H1 as the indicator of the URL title.

    Use link-building with internal links to kill two birds with one stone, as you will provide additional resources for your readers while increasing your own website’s ranking simultaneously.

    One cool tip is that you can link to other websites, but better still, you can link to other blog posts on your website. Writing content this way helps spread the ‘link juice’ across your website.

    5. Strengthen your content with appealing images

    Add images to make your content more appealing and easier to read. You can also use Pinterest and pin your image for extra visibility.

    Remember with your images to add image alt text. This will help you with page SEO and further improve the SEO performance of your high quality content.

    Time to Become an SEO Writing Guru

    SEO writing is not simply about adding keywords to your copy. It is not keyword stuffing.

    It is much more complex than that, as it revolves around writing a compelling and smart piece of content that adds value to your readers, makes you show up as an expert in your niche, and is optimized for search engines.

    When you write content, and the SEO optimized your articles are, the more likely you are to rank higher and on the top pages. You can also look next at improving the meta description and title tag of your web pages.

    To know if you are making progress, always use Google Analytics. Doing so makes tracking performance so much easier than taking a stab in the dark.

    Remember, whoever ends up on the first page of Google benefits from an immense amount of traffic for years to come.

    Got questions? Need help with SEO writing? Schedule a free call with a First Page SEO expert today!

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    Bounce Rate – The crucial part of SEO that you are (probably) overlooking

    Posted on by Aaron Radcliffe

    If you are a marketer, then you know that your website’s bounce rate is one of the most crucial factors when it comes to your SEO. Unfortunately, many marketers are overlooking this factor, and as a result, their website’s bounce rate is high, which can hurt their SEO ranking.

    In this blog post, we will discuss what bounce rate is, why it matters for SEO, and how to decrease your website’s bounce rate. We will also discuss the difference between bounce rate and exit rate. Let’s get started!

    If someone asks you what your ‘bounce rate is, there are two common ways to answer this question…

    Way #1 – Tell them the number of times that you can jump up and down on a trampoline in under 60 seconds. 

    Bounce rate is the number of times users bounce from your website.
    Bouncin’

    Bouncin’

    Way #2 – Tell them that bounce rate is the percentage of people that visit a single page on your website and do nothing on the page before leaving.

    Today, we are here to discuss the 2nd type of bounce rate (sorry, trampoline lovers). 

    But! While the term ‘bounce rate’ might sound like a small thing, it is an EXTREMELY underrated part of your website’s SEO.

    Table of Contents

    Why is Bounce Rate so Important?

    Bounce rate (BR) is important because your bounce rate is an indication of the engagement of your website. It is directly linked to how your users interact with your brand.

    So, because of that, if you know how to examine your BRs, you will be able to quickly identify what types of content resonate with your audience. It will also indicate what pages on your website need a serious face-lift.

    Both of which will result in better traffic, and increased conversions.

    Let’s dive into bounce rate a bit deeper (and give you 5 tips to improve YOUR BR)…

    Wait… how is my bounce rate calculated?

    It is calculated by dividing the number of visitors that exit your website ( for a single landing page we would term this the page’s bounce rate) without triggering any action (single page sessions) by the number of visitors that land on your website (total session).

    Calculating bounce rate
    Bounce rate math be like…

    Bounce rate math be like…

    But don’t worry – one can easily find their BR in Google Analytics. To find the Google Analytics bounce rate:

    Go to Audience -> Overview, and vualá! Your BR awaits you. It is one of the most common Google Analytics metrics, and know you know where it is.

    Bounce rate on Google Analytics

    But, there are two things to note…

    The thing to note #1 – This is the most basic way to find a BR, but if you really want to identify core issues in your website’s UX, you gotta make a more detailed Bounce Rate report (more on this later).

    The thing to note #2 – Many factors collectively can inhibit or fire Google analytics’ code, such as ad blockers, slow-loading page, session timeouts, and improper tracking setup. This means that your bounce rate will never be perfect, but it will be a pretty good indication of your website’s engagement.

    Why does bounce rate matter?

    It’s simple – the higher the BR, the worse your engagement. And bad engagement is something that Google tracks, which leads to negative SEO consequences (mainly worse rankings).

    This is because Google wants to serve its users the best content possible, and poor engagement can be seen as a signal of poor content.

    For example, let’s say for the keyword ‘best trampoline brands’…

    A high bounce rate aftermath

    The page’s bounce rate for the article in the #1 position has a BR of 78%, and the page’s bounce rate for article #2 has a 50% BR. This communicates to Google that article #2 might better serve the user experience for the query. As such, it has given this particular page #2

    This means that article #2 has a great shot of overtaking article #1 in search rankings or search engine results.

    What’s the difference between bounce rate, exit rate, and dwell time?

    All these metrics are essential to make a successful website that grabs users’ attention and leads them to interact with your website. However, they are often misused. There is a lot of confusion, especially between bounce rate and exit rate.

    Below is the difference between BR, exit rate, and dwell time:

    #1 – Bounce Rate

    As mentioned, BR is the percentage of people that visit a single page on your website and do nothing on the page before leaving (aka – bouncing).

    #2 – Exit rate

    Exit rate can show you where visitors who have viewed more than one page are eventually leaving from. This is commonly called the ‘exit page.’

    #3 – Dwell time

    Dwell time refers to the length of time a person spends looking at a web page after clicking a link on a SERP page before going back to the SERP results.

    The value of this metric to a search engine is obvious – the more time you spend consuming the content of a page you clicked to visit, the higher the probability that the page satisfied your needs. It also means that the content you consumed matches your search intent.

    If you log into your Google Analytics account, you will find bounce rate, exit rate, and dwell time there.

    What is a healthy bounce rate?

    Well, this is actually tougher than it sounds.

    You hear many ‘SEO experts’ say that a BR between 40% to 60% percent is considered average. And anything below 40% is excellent!

    These numbers aren’t necessarily accurate…

    An SEO expert
    ‘SEO experts’ be like…

    ‘SEO experts’ be like…

    However, while these can act as a ‘good rule of thumb,’ there is no significant evidence behind these ratings.

    Truth be told, there is no universal ‘good’ BR, as it completely depends on your industry, the search queries, seasonality, and many other factors.

    So when it comes to your own BRs, your goal should be to compare them historically and look for ways to improve (listed below).

    What are the reasons for a bad bounce rate?

    While there are no universal ‘good’ BRs, it should be noted that higher BRs are bad, and average bounce rates above 90% could mean your website needs a LOT of work.

    Also, it should be noted that a bounce rate below 20% is suspicious. If you are getting a bounce rate that is suspiciously low, you should check your analytics setup.

    Ensure there are no tracking mistakes. Common bounce rate performance problems include duplicate tracking code, heavy websites, incorrect setup interaction events, and not firing the virtual page views.

    How can I improve my bounce rate?

    Bad BRs aren’t a problem in themselves – they indicate deeper problems on your website.

    Mainly poor user experience and subpar focus on SEO.

    Instead of focusing on BRs, focus on improving the overall user experience, as well as implementing on-page SEO. Working on both will dramatically help with your average bounce rates (and exit rates too).

    Below are five tips you can take to improve your SEO, engagement, and user experience. In these tips will improve site quality, increase organic traffic, improve your Google rankings, and make sure a user spends more time on your site:

    5 tips for improving bounce rate infographic.

    #1 – Make your content rich, helpful, and engaging.

    This means adding infographics, videos, bullet points, etc. This is an essential ranking factor, and if you align with the users’ search intent – your one-page visits will drop. Remember, the more engaging your content, the longer people will stay on your site, and the lower your bounce rate.

    #2 – Implement the basics of on-page SEO.

    Having a strong on-page SEO strategy is essential for any website. By implementing basic on-page SEO tactics, like including relevant keywords, having a good meta description on each page, optimizing page titles and headers, and making sure your website loads quickly, you can significantly improve the user experience on your website.

    This can translate to lower bounce and exit rates, as well as higher search engine rankings. Don’t underestimate the importance of on-page SEO – it’s one of the foundational elements of a successful online presence. So do yourself a favor and make sure you’re mastering the basics. Trust me, it’ll pay off in the long run.

    #3 – Make your website easy to use on all digital devices (ESPECIALLY mobile).

    Mobile technology continues to take over our daily lives. So, it’s important to make sure that your website can be easily accessed and navigated on all devices. This improves the user experience and will also have a significant impact on your bounce and exit rates.

    After all, no one wants to struggle to navigate a clunky or non-responsive website on their phone or tablet. Investing time and effort into mobile optimization not only increases the chances that users time on page, but it also shows them that you value their experience. Don’t let outdated technology drag down your online presence – make your website mobile-friendly today. Doing so will significantly increase your chances of having a low bounce rate.

    #4 – Build trust and increase the number of visitors that browse through your website by including sources and links in your copy.

    In this time of fake news and clickbait, it is essential to establish trust with your audience by providing sources and links in your website copy.

    Not only does this enhance the user experience, but it can also improve time on page. Furthermore, it will decrease the bounce rate and decrease exit rate. By showing that you are a credible source, visitors are more likely to spend time on your website. They will explore other pages rather than quickly bouncing off or exiting. Adding sources and links increase trust, and also drive traffic to other pages on your website. It’s a win-win for both you and the visitor. Make sure to include those sources and links for maximum success.

    #5 – Improve your site loading speed (this one is huge).

    The speed at which your website loads can make or break your success on the internet. Not only does on-page SEO heavily factor in loading speed. It also plays a vital role in reducing bounce and exit rates on your site.

    A slow-loading site can lead to frustrated users who quickly leave. This will lead to a higher bounce rate and indicate a poor user experience.

    On the other hand, faster-loading sites have lower bounce rates and stronger user satisfaction. Don’t wait any longer – take steps now to improve your site’s loading speed! Improve your bounce rate, and exit today. Make sure you reap the benefits of increased traffic and conversions too. Trust me, you won’t regret it. #speedmatters

    Conclusion

    Bounce rate doesn’t have to be scary or overly complicated. By simply focusing on your user experience and SEO, you will naturally improve your bounce rate, which will naturally help your organic rankings. If you are interested in improving your bounce rates and generating INSANE amounts of traffic with SEO, reach out to a digital strategist today. Also, feel free to check out our premium content services too! Our premium content services are great at lowering your BR and engaging your potential customers.

    Which one of our 5 tips will you implement today?

    FAQs on bounce rate

    Is 35% a good bounce rate?

    Averages range from 50 to 45%. A reasonable rate would be between 25% and 50%. Check Google Analytics settings and filter settings to ensure you monitor visits if your bounce rate falls below 20 to 30%.

    Does a high bounce rate affect SEO?

    SEO, or search engine optimization, is a crucial aspect of digital marketing. A high bounce rate can negatively impact SEO because it signals to search engines that the website is not providing valuable content for viewers. Additionally, a high bounce rate may suggest that the website lacks straightforward navigation and a cohesive design, both of which are important factors for SEO success. On the other hand, a low bounce rate suggests that visitors are finding what they’re looking for on the website and engaging with its content. Therefore, SEO experts should pay close attention to their website’s bounce rate and work to improve it to ensure successful SEO performance.

    Do the Google ranking algorithms take into account bounce rates?

    Organic ranking is not directly impacted by a good bounce rate. A poor bounce rate, however, has an indirect impact on other ranking variables that Google is concerned about, such as slow page performance, bad design, inadequate mobile optimization, etc.

    White Hat SEO or Black? Search Engine Optimization 101 Basics

    Posted on by Arran Saunders

    Ever since search engine optimization (SEO) hit the scene as a go-to digital marketing method, its practitioners have fallen into two distinct camps: black hat and white hat SEO.

    There is also another, which is a combination of white hat SEO techniques and black hat SEO techniques, which is grey hat SEO techniques. 

    Which side you fall on with the ‘Hat SEO’ color is determined by the approach you use to optimize your website, and how well your techniques match up with the official Google guidelines for SEO best practices.

    The truth is, not all SEO strategies are created equally to get you on the search engine results page – or ethically.

    Here in the second edition of our SEO 101 basics series, we examine the definitions and methodology associated with these two prevailing methods.

    Table of contents

    What is white hat SEO: Want to know about the Gold Standard?

    White Hat SEO

    White hat SEO is the gold standard of SEO practices that every reputable agency or SEO tech strives to embody. What separates white hat techniques from their more “shady” counterparts?

    Google approves of white hat SEO strategies. With white hat SEO, if you follow these techniques, your website is more likely to be rewarded with higher search engine result page (SERP) rankings and more website traffic.

    Some examples of white hat SEO tactics or techniques include:

    • Writing high-quality content and content that is engaging. Keywords are included naturally throughout, including meta tags and meta descriptions
    • Using personalized outreach strategies to authentically build backlinks to your site
    • Engineering the entire website to put user experience first
    • Matching content to user intent, ensuring its relevance to searchers
    • Creating internal links throughout your website

    White hat SEO tactics have an ethos that prioritizes user experience above getting ranks fast. It follows the direction provided by major search engines, with some thinking of it as a fundamentally conservative approach to SEO.

    So how do you spot where white hat SEO is used? You’ll see it in websites geared to answering searchers’ questions, providing useful information relevant to search terms and end-users. These sites also load fast and dynamically across a vast range of devices. Essentially, if you’re finding it hard to stop reading or leave a website, its marketers are probably using white hat SEO.

    Black Hat SEO: Is it Risky Business?

    Black Hat SEO

    If the rush to achieve your SERP ranking goals is influencing the SEO techniques you use, there’s a chance you have used black SEO tactics to get there. Basically, black hat SEO refers to strategies that aren’t endorsed by Google or are explicitly advised against.

    They are more aggressive in the pursuit of results and to rank on search engine results. This means using black had SEO carries a higher risk of incurring rank penalties.

    Examples of black bat SEO techniques include:

    • Keyword stuffing – the practice of shoving keywords where they don’t belong, making content less readable
    • Using duplicate content
    • Using hidden text search engines can’t see
    • Cloaking – this is when websites sneakily redirect you to another page after reeling you in from SERPs
    • Purchasing backlinks in hopes of increased site link exposure

    Using black hat SEO tactics to optimize a website often results in poor user experience. While there is evidence to suggest they can get results in the short term, these efforts usually fall flat once Google catches onto them. This often means your site pages will lose rankings or even get de-indexed entirely, depending on the severity. Are the short-term payoffs worth the risk compared to white hat SEO?

    Grey Hat SEO: The Middle Ground or a Slippery Slope?

    Grey Hat SEO Techniques

    As with many things in life, not everything is completely black and white. Somewhere in the ambiguous “grey area” of SEO resides the aptly-named grey hat techniques. Thought-leaders in the SEO community have called grey hat SEO a series of ill-defined or ill-advised techniques whose ethics are up for debate.

    As the name and criteria suggest, grey hat techniques carry a certain level of risk. At the end of the day, if you’re using a technique you’re not sure aligns with Google’s guidelines, it’s a smart call to play it safe and give it a miss.

    If marketers start justifying these techniques, it can easily become a slippery slope to black hat status. In fact, many marketers consider grey hat techniques to be black hat methods masquerading as white hat SEO ones.

    Risk vs Reward

    Where to balance on the scale?

    Although their names carry moral connotations, some leading SEO experts such as Neil Patel highlight the prevailing similarity between the wildly differing techniques: they share the same end goal.

    Of course, that’s ranking highly on Google, Baidu, Bing, and the others. What separates a black hat technique from a white hat one comes down to how you reach your end goal, along with the longevity of any results you achieve.

    Ultimately, black hat techniques are high-risk with short-term rewards. On the other hand, white hat techniques are low-risk but yield better long-term results that stand the test of time.

    Once you earn your SERP ranking the white hat way, you don’t necessarily have to worry about it disappearing overnight.

    Some SEO techs will believe they’ve “gamed the system” by devising shortcuts around the standard practices of white hat SEO.

    Temporarily, perhaps, they may accomplish this with short-term traffic and rank boosts. But it doesn’t last long! The end result of using black hat techniques is both inevitable and very hard to scramble your way out of.

    Which Path Will You Take?

    Grey Hat SEO is not an option

    While white hat SEO requires a little bit of patience when used for search engine optimization. the results are more than worth it. Black hat SEO tecniques may give you a quick fix, but they foster no loyalty or genuine engagement among visitors. 

    Using white hat methods tends to create more exciting companies with websites that are truly worth visiting. Wouldn’t you rather have your brand associated with providing high-value, memorable online experiences?

    Having to do SEO yourself can be really time-consuming. If you would like a helping hand please check out our SEO services. Also, please contact one of our SEO experts if you have any questions.

    We hope this post has shed some light on the contrasting nature of black and white hat as well as grey hat SEO. If you missed our first edition or need some clarification on the basics, check out our Introduction to the Fundamentals Of Website Ranking. 

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    What else can you keep driving traffic to your website?

    In any competitive market, getting quality traffic to your website is not easy. We have some great blogs you can read that will help you drive traffic like never before:

    If you are a time-strapped entrepreneur, you may not have time to do digital marketing. If this is the case, we encourage you to review some of our strategic digital marketing services to drive more sales and quality web traffic:

    FAQs on white hat SEO techniques

    What are some white hat SEO techniques on other search engines like Yahoo

    White-hat SEO is a tactic that aids in optimizing and promoting your website in accordance with the standards established by search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo; if you fail to adhere to these standards, the search engine will punish your site. If you want to rise up on search rankings, remember to do good keyword research and white hat SEO methods.

    Can link building help white hat SEO practices?

    One of the key components of the White hat SEO strategy is link building. Quality increasingly prevails over quantity in search engines. A real and pertinent website linking to yours is a vote of confidence and trust, and Google will reward you with a higher ranking for it.

    What are search engine crawlers, and how do they help with White Hat SEO?

    Search engine crawlers, also known as spiders or bots, are used by search engines like Google to scan and index website content. By ensuring that a website is easily crawlable and contains high-quality, relevant content, website owners can improve their search engine rankings through and is a White Hat SEO tactic.

    What are some black hat SEO strategies?

    Some examples of black hat SEO strategies include keyword stuffing, cloaking, buying backlinks, hidden text/links, and duplicate content. These practices aim to manipulate search engine rankings, but are in violation of search engine guidelines and can result in penalties or bans.

    3 Reasons Why Now is the Time to Start Digital Marketing

    Posted on by Stephanie Wong

    If there is one global truth these days, it’s that everyone is ready for the COVID-19 pandemic to be over and for life to return to normal.

    If there is another, it’s that COVID-19 cemented the fact that the internet is the most important tool available to humans.

    Since it first went live in 1991, the internet has been the most dominant piece of technology at our disposal. Over the past 30 years, we’ve evolved from sending tiny bits of information through a connected cable, to downloading entire movies to a personal, pocket-sized computer in a matter of seconds. It’s even estimated that some 50% of the world’s population has regular access to the internet, and tech billionaires are working to provide access to the other 50% through glorified weather balloons!

    Yet, despite all the advances in internet technology and the dramatic adoption of the internet as a global marketplace, some businesses are still reluctant to be a part of the digital age and have yet to fully invest in digital marketing.

    You may be reading this and be thinking, “well, digital marketing doesn’t fit with my industry”, or, “my business is doing just fine without it.” 

    Sorry to say, but here is another truth: the present and future of marketing and sales are digital. 

    If you are still unconvinced that investing heavily in digital marketing is right for your business, here are three reasons why you should.

    Table of contents

    The COVID-19 Expressway

    Covid-19

    Many have called COVID-19 a Black Swan Event, a singular event that came as a surprise and made a significant impact on the world at large. In many ways, this is true. If there were people who predicted the pandemic and its potential impact, they were a silent micro-minority. Even now, over a year after the onset, we don’t fully understand the pandemic’s long-term effects.

    But as digital marketers, we immediately identified one outcome as soon as the world went into lockdown, and that was the fast-tracking of the digital economy’s ascension to dominance. 

    Much like what happened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, when e-commerce giant Alibaba was born out of necessity, varying degrees of lockdown around the world during COVID-19 signalled that commerce, social interactions, and business was going digital. Marketers were quick to jump on the opportunity to grow their business by reallocating their budgets to focus on the digital sphere. 

    The businesses that were successful during the pandemic already had a robust digital presence and were well-equipped to augment their strategies to take advantage of an influx of new business. Those that were unprepared faltered. 

    There is no reason to believe that the world will go back to pre-pandemic commerce as we look forward. The digital economy was burgeoning and becoming dominant before the first wave of infections, and COVID-19 has only expedited the transition.

    There is no turning back.

    E-commerce is Dominating Asia

    Rise of eCommerce

    Around 2 billion people live in Southeast Asia and Greater China. With e-commerce logistics being what they are today, it’s never been easier to reach potential customers outside your country’s borders. Today, both Hong Kong and Mainland China have free trade agreements with ASEAN countries, making it cost-effective for brands to export their goods and sell overseas. 

    E-commerce players like JD, Lazada, and Shopee have also made it simple to list your products online and sell them to customers around the region, even if you don’t have a proper distributor. But, as any good salesperson or marketer knows, listing products is just “step one” in the sales process.

    To take advantage of the explosive growth of e-commerce, in part due to COVID-19, and to find success overseas, businesses need to invest in digital marketing in the countries where they wish to sell. A Hong Kong company with products available for sale in Thailand, for example, would be wise to partner with an online marketing company in Bangkok.

    Working with a digital agency in a foreign market ensures that your brand and products will be marketed correctly to your target audience. Tailoring marketing content to a new audience in a new market is called “localisation” and is one of the most critical facets of international marketing. Despite geographic proximity, no two markets in the region have the same consumer and cultural behaviour, putting the onus on marketers to adapt.

    While pursuing multinational expansion may seem daunting, it can be executed well if you choose the right business partners. The potential for growth is so great that your local and foreign competitors are likely already ahead of you. 

    That said, an impactful digital marketing strategy can elevate your brand’s value and equity and help you gain market dominance.

    Digital Natives are Driving the Bus

    Digital Natives

    Whether you are in the FMCG industry or focus on B2B sales, your main customers are likely digital natives. Digital natives are people who grew up in the internet age, with unlimited information at their fingertips. 

    Digital natives use modern technology to solve their problems and are easily influenced by things they see online. The internet is their primary resource for everything. Considering that the percentage of adults who have grown up in the digital age is only increasing, it makes logical sense for brands to market to them on the platforms they use.

    Today, most shoppers learn about new brands through digital marketing. They search generic keywords on Google and trust that the top-ranking website is the best. They see influencers on social media promote a product and assume that it must be good. They talk about things with their friends and start to see advertisements for related products across their social media channels. Your end-users or B2B buyers are young, have money, and trust that the internet shows them the best products available. But as marketers, we know that a brand’s internet presence is only as good as its digital marketing strategy. 

    To conquer the growing digital native consumer segment, businesses need to make sure that all of their digital marketing bases are covered. 

    From Google Ads and Search Engine Optimisation to catchy graphic design and engaging social media content, digital marketing has many different outputs. Having a strong digital presence is no longer a competitive advantage. Today, and moving forward, it is and will be the most essential aspect of a brand’s overall marketing strategy. 

    So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to us today, and one of our specialists will be happy to get back in touch as soon as possible! First Page is the leading digital marketing agency in Asia, helping our clients exceed their expectations and grow their online presence.

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    Simple SEO Tips to Get You Started!

    Posted on by Arran Saunders

    We are going to share with you 7 simple SEO tips. These tips are going to get your search results on the up. You’ve probably heard of all the good things search engine optimization (SEO) can do for your website. In fact, optimizing your website for search engines (like Google) is one of the most effective ways of increasing website traffic. You will see that come of these tips show how content for SEO will benefit your rankings too.

    With more visitors comes more conversions – and then more growth for your business.

    But the complexity of SEO can be intimidating. In reality, SEO can be as simple or as complicated as you make it.

    Some of the more simple and accessible SEO tasks can be done by anyone that has access to the website. These simple steps will have significant effects on how well your page ranks on search engines and can get your foot in the door when it comes to SEO. 

    At First Page, we work with clients in a wide range of industries and sizes. If you don’t know how to SEO your website and lack the budget to hire a professional SEO agency, read these 7 simple SEO tips. They will make your web pages faster, rank higher, and drive more organic (free!) traffic to your website.

    Table of contents

    How can crafting new content or optimizing old copy with target keywords help?

    Tip 1

    This is key when it comes to simple SEO tips. Content for SEO on your website is one of the biggest ranking factors in the eyes of search engines like Google. Every search query has a search term or keyword. By including these keywords in your content, you can help Google identify the fact that your content is relevant and can help the searcher – think of it as a little indicator for Google’s algorithm. Following this, Google will then place your web page higher in the search results. 

    Knowing which keywords to target can be difficult, but there is plenty of software out there that simplifies the process and allows you to target a range of keywords to grow your traffic. Google’s own Keyword Planner is a useful tool, while using the search bar simplifies it even further – simply see what Google suggests. 

    How readable is your content and does it offer value?

    Content for SEO

    Google’s algorithm rewards websites with readable content that offers some form of value to users. If your page has a lot of long paragraphs without headings, it’s likely overwhelming and people won’t be encouraged to read it, and therefore get value from it. Making your content readable is one of the simple SEO tips to implement.

    When we think about content for SEO, it is not just about keywords. Your content needs to add value to the reader. By value, it means to help solve a pain point for the reader. Readability is also key for content for SEO. Your sentences should be short and concise.

    Remember to split up your content with clear headlines and write content that provides a new or unique angle to what already exists. The most effective way to do this is to put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer when you write. Think about the keywords you’re targeting and what they reveal about the searcher’s intent – aka what they actually want to know – not what you want to tell them. 

    external links are important for content for SEO

    External links help with ranking. This includes not only adding more content from different sources, but linking out to them in passing throughout the content. 

    External links to other high-authority websites help build your own website’s credibility, and are vital for SEO. 

    Internal links, on the other hand, are key for helping users find their way through your website. Having a well-structured website that is easily navigable is a cornerstone of any properly optimised website. 

    Can simple SEO tips like getting other websites to link to your page (backlinks) help?

    One of the great simple SEO tips, backlinks!

    The best way to get backlinks is by building a quality website that has something of value. Once you have a good web presence, people will naturally want to share it.

    However, there are several other ways to get other websites to link back to yours. You can, of course, pay for links – but this is not recommended as websites are less likely to be relevant to yours. One tried and tested method is guest posting on other high-ranking sites that are relevant to yours. In return for your content, the website host will link back to your website.

    Why is ensuring all your SEO technical aspects are in line important?

    One of the important SEO tips, getting your technical SEO right

    There’s plenty going on behind-the-scenes in a website that we don’t notice on a daily basis, many of which have an effect on your SEO. While it’s true that some of these (such as schema.org markups) require a more in-depth understanding of SEO, some are quite simple. Here’s a couple big ones to watch out for:

    URL structure

    • Choose a static, not dynamic URL, that you edit yourself.
    • Make sure that your URLs don’t contain numbers unless necessary, whether it be in a date or if the page is in a listicle format. Numbers can quickly get outdated, and updating URLs will hamper your SEO efforts.
    • Use hyphens not underscores to separate words
    An example URL
    Here’s what our URL structures look like for our blogs. The obvious exception here is the number 404, which is a name and therefore will not change in time.

    Check for broken redirects

    • These are essentially dead-ends for users, and they will likely leave your entire website if they encounter one. Make sure that all redirects are working as intended.

    Remember to not forget about off-page content

    Metas are important

    Not all the content you write will appear on your actual web page. Two important yet commonly undervalued aspects of a web page are its meta title and meta description.

    Your meta title and description should be enticing and concisely sell what the page is about. It’s important that your meta title has one of your target keywords in it so when people are searching for something on Google or another search engine they will find and make a connection to your page. Likewise with the meta description – this should provide context as well as include any keywords you might have been targeting throughout your content.

    Learn how to write SEO-friendly meta titles and meta descriptions with First Page.

    Is compressing image files to improve page speed helpful?

    Compress your images

    Pages with large file sizes will load much slower than pages with smaller file sizes, which means visitors might get frustrated and leave your website before they see the content they were looking for. This can lead to lower conversion rates on your website. 

    Fortunately, speeding up a web page is easy once you know about it – compressing images is one of the most effective and quickest methods to do so. Use websites like https://compressjpeg.com and don’t forget to reduce the resolution to only what you need. Aim for around 100-300kb per image. 

    In sum, what can these simple SEO tips do for you?

    Following these tips will help you get your web pages ranking on the first page of Google more often. If you want to learn more about SEO or think you could benefit from a fully-fledged SEO campaign, don’t hesitate to get in touch with First Page.

    Learn more about SEO

    Writing SEO descriptions: Tips To Write Irresistible Meta Descriptions For Your Website

    Posted on by Arran Saunders

    Have you ever found yourself scrolling through search engine results, swiftly passing over a dull meta description in favor of one that catches your eye and entices you to click?

    The same principle applies to your own website – an irresistible meta description is key to improve search engine rankings and ultimately driving more traffic to your site.

    But how do you go about it when you write meta descriptions? Here is a summary:

    • Firstly, make sure it accurately reflects the content on the corresponding page – no click-bait allowed!
    • Secondly, incorporate keywords that potential visitors might use when searching for your product or service.
    • Finally, don’t be afraid to inject some personality and creativity into your meta description – set yourself apart from the sea of generic blurbs out there and make readers eager to learn more about what you have to offer.

    Just a reminder, this is part 2 of our series on page titles and meta descriptions. These are the two key components of SERP content that you have control over. If you want to learn more about page titles, please read part 1.

    We have more tips to help you make a better-than-good meta description. So read on, give those meta descriptions a makeover and watch those search results soar.

    Table of contents

    Before we get started with meta descriptions, here’s a quick recap of what they are and where they appear. 

    The SERP is a list of top results given to you by your search engine based on your search query. The page title is the header tag (usually in blue), and the meta description appears as a sentence or two below it.

    SEO page title tips: 7 tips for writing compelling meta descriptions

    7 tips for writing compelling meta descriptions

    Meta descriptions are like a miniature blurb of a book.

    They will always be read after the page title, and should therefore complement them. Why is are meta descriptions important?

    Simply put, a great meta description provides a further glimpse into what the page offers and again encourages the reader to click on the page.

    Chances are they’re reading your meta description because your title was convincing… but not convincing enough to warrant a click straight away.

    What this means is that meta descriptions are absolutely vital to snag every last visitor you can from the SERP. In fact, pages with meta descriptions are reported to have a 5.8% higher CTR than those without – so pay attention to the next few tips.

    1. Watch the meta description length   

    Keep an eye on the length

    Similar to page titles, meta descriptions are very limited in terms of length.

    However, you’ve got a bit longer to work here with roughly 156 characters being the upper limit for length.

    We suggest not going over this, or you risk having a truncated description – which is bad for CTR.

    Equally, having a meta description that is too short probably means you haven’t fully described your page or written a very persuasive description.

    Striking the perfect balance will set you up for success.

    2. ALWAYS use the active voice

    Try to use the active voice in your meta description

    After page titles, meta descriptions are the next part of your page that searchers will interact with.

    Writing in the active voice and in an engaging tone is one of the easiest ways to boost the performance of your meta description and take it to the next level. It doesn’t require you to change any of the details or content – just how it’s written.

    Here are some meta description examples, say:

    “Help your website find the traffic it deserves by learning how to write irresistible page titles and meta descriptions. Read more to find out how.”

    Rather than:

    “Learning how to write irresistible page titles and meta descriptions can help your website find the traffic it deserves. Read more to find out why.”

    3. Include keywords in the meta description tag

    include keywords in your meta description

    Similar to page titles, including keywords in your meta description can boost your SEO efforts while also appealing to the searcher.

    If search engines accurately understand the contents of your page (through keyword usage), they can present it to searchers who would more likely be interested in it.

    Similarly, if a searcher sees a relevant keyword in your meta description, they have a much higher chance of thinking the content will be helpful.

    As a reminder, do not duplicate meta descriptions across pages! Each should be a unique meta description for each web page.

    4. Use statistics & figures

    Use statistics and figures when possible

    You have a little more room to work within meta descriptions. Think about including a key statistic or figure.

    Saying that your product drives a 102% return on investment can catch the attention of searchers. Moreover, this can make your page sound more authoritative.

    If done tastefully and appropriately, a key statistic in the meta description can set your page apart from the rest and drive a higher CTR.

    5. Keep it unique & matched to the content of the page

    Always have unique meta descriptions

    Each unique page should have its own unique meta description. If they don’t, search engine crawlers may skip over it and the page itself.

    As a general rule of thumb – if your meta description could apply to another page with different content, it probably isn’t descriptive enough. Try to adjust it so that it reveals more in detail what the page offers readers.

    6. Keep it specific but also encourage curiosity

    Keep your meta description specific

    We’ve already discussed the limitations of a short word count – but remember to strike a balance between specificity and encouraging curiosity.

    A meta description that is too broad or general could lose the interest of the reader, and have them skipping onto the next result.

    On the other hand, a meta description that is so specific that it answers a users query may have them either leave the SERP altogether, or potentially dismiss your page as one lacking detail – since you managed to answer their query in 156 characters or less.

    Keep your reader engaged by speaking directly to them. This will make for a compelling meta description and one that Google Search will love.

    Tell them what your page offers them if they read it.

    7. Include a call to action

    End with a concise call to action

    A great way to engage readers and drive curiosity is to include a call to action in your meta description. Usually at the end, they encourage the reader to click on your page. Popular CTAs include:

    • Read more
    • Find out more
    • Learn more
    • Sign up
    • Book now
    • Get started
    • Join us
    • … and so on.&

    Often, CTAs are simply irresistible and we can’t help but click on them – even if we’re aware that they are CTAs. Humans have a primal instinct that drives curiosity, and CTAs are simply playing upon that.

    Writing a good meta description: In Closing

    Writing a proper page title and meta description is a vital part of boosting your search engine results and making sure you web page SEO performance and the user experience are at their best.

    When it comes to SEO, a lot of the focus is on keywords and backlink building. But let’s not forget about the humble meta description – after all, it’s your chance to show off what your website or blog post has to offer.

    Including relevant keywords in your meta description can improve your search engine rankings and increase website traffic.

    Plus, when users see an enticing and informative description in their search results, they’re more likely to click through to your site. So don’t underestimate the power of a great meta description – it may just be the key to upping your search engine game.

    Follow these tips for great results from your meta descriptions. It’s vital to make a positive first impression to avoid losing traffic to other sites – many of which may not even have as good content as you.

    If you need help, please call us for a consultation. It is obligation free.

    What else can you do to improve your digital marketing apart from writing awesome meta descriptions?

    As you are well aware, keeping ahead of the competition requires constant investment. Having great metas will improve your on page SEO and search result for each web page on your web site (and drive web traffic). What more can you do to improve your marketing ROI? We have some great marketing blogs that can guide you to marketing success:

    If you are a busy small business owner or entrepreneur, you probably have a lot on your plate. If this is the case, we encourage you to review some of our strategic marketing services to drive more sales and keep you ahead of the competition:

    Interested in digital marketing? Get in touch.

    SEO Page Title Tips: How to Write Irresistible Page Titles to Make People Read More

    Posted on by Arran Saunders

    We will be covering some SEO page title tips to draw people in to want to read more. Writing good page titles is one of the key things for a blog or web page to be successful. You are on the no.1 spot on the search engine results pages.

    Now what? You have SEO friendly title on your blog page. That is good for SERP… But will it make people want to read?

    People always preach that you shouldn’t ever judge a book by its cover… but we all know that the cover is extremely important for getting people’s attention – the same goes for page titles and meta descriptions.

    While your page titles and meta descriptions are only a few words – they have a disproportionately large effect on the success of your website.

    When scrolling down the SERP (search engine results page), these are the only two things you’ll have to decide whether to click on a page (aside from its URL).

    When you’ve got several other pages all competing to grab the user’s attention, you need a quality page title and meta description.

    They need to be compelling, irresistible, and concise to give the searcher an understanding of exactly what your page offers them.

    At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of page titles and meta descriptions is to drive clicks. 

    Apart from the obvious impact these two web attributes can have on users’ browsing search results, they can also play a role in SEO and how search engines like Google understand, and subsequently rank, your page. 

    Some quickfire statistics on titles & meta descriptions:

    Quickfire statistics about page titles and meta descriptions

    But before we dive deep into the science of page titles and meta descriptions… what exactly are they and where do they appear?

    The SERP is a list of top results given to you by your search engine based on your search query. The page title is the header tag (usually in blue), and the meta description is the sentence or two below it.

    For example:

    seo serp meta descriptions

    Table of contents

    What are the 5 SEO title tips to make people click?

    5 tips for writing irresistible page titles

    Page titles aren’t too dissimilar from your typical headings – they serve one purpose, which is to engage readers and grab their attention. Page titles are vitally important as they show on the SERP, web browser tabs, and social networks. Here are our SEO page title tips!

    #1 – Why must you keep it SEO friendly?

    Keep it SEO friendly

    According to data from Backlinko, titles that are between 15 and 40 characters long have the highest CTR (click-through rate). This suggests that absolutely maximising the upper limit for length, which is 50-60 characters before getting truncated, isn’t necessarily beneficial. Rather, keeping it at an approachable length allows readers to instantly read and comprehend it. 

    For example:

    An example of a truncated page title and meta description

    In addition to length, one of the biggest parts of keeping your page titles SEO friendly is including keywords. For every page in your website that you would like to rank highly on SERPs, you should have a set of designated target keywords. By including your primary keyword in the page title, you’ll help search engines understand what your page is about and give it a boost in the rankings. 

    In addition to this, if a searcher has searched for a specific keyword and sees it in your title, they will immediately see its relevance and have a much greater chance of clicking onto your page. Because of this, it’s typically a good idea to frontload your target keyword so it’s what they see first. 

    However, as with most aspects of SEO, don’t force it if it doesn’t comply with user experience guidelines. Google, along with other major search engines, look for quality content over all else. 

    #2 – Why is it important to be specific?

    Be specific

    Without clicking into your page, the reader will only be able to see your page title and meta description. Especially with page titles, since you have only a few words to work with, it’s vital to be specific and concise. 

    The aim is to engage with the readers, catch their attention, and convince them to click on your page. Being specific is a huge part of this – if the reader knows exactly what your page offers, they could become interested. 

    If, on the other hand, they don’t understand what your page is about, there’s a high chance they will simply dismiss it and go to the next result. 

    #3 – Should you put yourself in your reader’s shoes?

    Put yourself in your reader's shoes

    The world of SEO is competitive. Oftentimes, it isn’t enough just to have good content – you have to brand it in a way that allows it to be discovered and found by searchers. 

    One of the best ways to do this is to put yourselves in the shoes of your reader. Ask yourself: 

    • “What would you want to read if you were searching for ____?”
    • “How can this content benefit those searching for ____? What answers does it give them?”
    • “What pain, inconvenience or annoyance does my content relieve? Or in what way does it make a searcher’s life better?”

    When doing this, remember that all content has a purpose – you need to understand what the purpose of your content is and angle the page title in a way that complements this. 

    #4 – Is there a need to be persuasive?

    Be persuasive

    Title tags are the first interaction people will have with your content. A poorly written title tag won’t persuade or convince people to click on your page – so understanding what gets people interested is key. It is crucial to get this right! It is one of our most important SEO page title tips.

    Try to use emotive language where you can. From Backlinko’s study, we can see that titles with emotion display a 7% higher CTR than those that don’t. Refer back to our previous point about putting yourselves in your readers’ shoes, and try to imagine what emotions they’re feeling as they search for your target keywords. After this, crafting your title becomes much easier and more efficient. 

    Other than this, it’s vital that your title reveals and reflects what your page actually offers. Depending on the type of page you’re writing the title for, they are either looking for answers (informational pages), looking for an interaction with the website such as buying, downloading etc (transactional pages), or looking for a specific page (navigational pages). Use this understanding to your advantage. 

    #5 – Make use of crooked numbers and symbols

    Use odd & crooked numbers and symbols

    The term crooked numbers refer to numbers that are odd or strangely specific. Due to the way we interpret data, these numbers seem more believable at a quick glance – which is exactly what people will do to your titles. For example, if your page is a listicle, there is statistical evidence to suggest that odd numbers, especially 7, have a much higher CTR than even numbers like 8 or 6. To add to this,  

    In addition, using symbols where possible can make more eye-catching headlines. Think about using symbols such as #, &, and more. 

    In closing: What we want is for you to start writing good page titles!

    In summary, using these tips will allow search engines and internet visitors to immediately comprehend the meaning of your content.

    Now that we’ve provided some principles, there’s no excuse for not examining and optimizing your page names. If you already have optimized page names, consider improving them using the approach described in this post. You might be shocked to learn that changing a few words will enhance your CTR.

    If you are too busy to produce great page titles, please check out our SEO services! Alternatively, feel free to have a non-binding SEO consultation today!

    Interested in digital marketing? Get in touch.

    After learning about good page titles, what else can you learn about to make people love your content?

    We hope that you found this article helpful and that there are ways to enhance your page titles. You can more out of your content through digital marketing tactics. Here are some useful blog articles on tactics that we recommend you read:

    Need to fix your digital marketing but are too busy?

    If you are busy with day-to-day operations, you may not have the time you need to maximise your digital marketing. If this is the case, we encourage you to review some of our strategic digital marketing services:

    Page title FAQs

    What is a good page title?

    Your page title should be catchy enough to draw the reader in while remaining succinct enough to convey to both users and search engines the meaning and goal of the page.

    Do page titles affect SEO?

    Because it influences how Google’s algorithms interpret your content and rank your page, the page title tag is crucial for SEO. Changing your page titles affects your search engine ranks, exposure, and traffic for your main goal keywords in either a positive or bad way.

    What is meta title?

    The text that appears on search engine result pages and browser tabs to identify the subject of a webpage is referred to as a meta title, often referred to as a title tag.

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